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Malay Heritage Centre

Events -
14 October 2009 12:00 AM | Updated 11 June 2010

The Kampong Glam district is home to some of the oldest and most significant landmarks in Singapore's history. The area, along Victoria Street, was once a stop-over for haj pilgrims from across Asia, who would flock there to attend classes, work and buy supplies before the long sea journey to Mecca. Some of them ended up as long-term residents.

Located in the district was also the Istana Kampong Glam (roughly translated as the Sultan's Palace) and Gedung Kuning (or Yellow Mansion), both of which were part of a larger original compound that led to the Beach Road royal frontage, the Sultan Gate.

Formed in July 1999, the Malay Heritage Centre Foundation embarked on a major restoration project of the Istana Kampong Glam. Works were completed in 2004, when the royal property was reopened as the Malay Heritage Centre.

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The centre also holds workshops on how to make pottery and batik. Short 1 or 2 hour courses are available, as well as full day workshops. Some of these classes are conducted by nationally renowned artists such as master potter Iskandar Jalil. Please enquire for artists' schedules, workshop dates and fees.

The nine galleries housed in the renovated Istana tell the story of the Singapore Malays, their roots, struggles, aspirations and the role they've played in the nation-building process.

Visitors can also discover more about the area itself and how it became the centre of Islamic learning and literacy in the late 19th century. They can also walk through a kampong setting to experience the living conditions of the Malay community back then.

... walk through a kampong setting to experience the living conditions of the Malay community back then.

Contemporary exhibits such as an in-depth look at the Malay film-making industry in Singapore, as well as a unique 3-D model of an early Malay settlement in 1819 will capture the imagination of younger visitors.

Guided tours of the museum are available through prior booking, as well as daily cultural performances in traditional dance and martial arts (silat). Visitors can even participate in the performance by playing Malay instruments such as the angklung.

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